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The most comfortable homes to live in or visit often have a certain je ne sais quoi , that indefinable quality that gives spaces an easy-going and calm ambience. Sometimes imbuing that relaxed atmosphere into a home just requires a few tweaks and one way to find the missing pieces of the puzzle is to consider how all five senses are integrated in the interior design.

Sight is usually the first way a person interacts with a space, and it shouldn’t be overwhelming, says Natalia Kwasnicki, partner at Vancouver-based Portico Design Group .

“You want the space to wash over you and allow your eye to consume it for all its parts and then enjoy those parts together. Things like balance, proportion and alignment help to build up the narrative of the space in a gentle, smooth way. It’s like a lightbulb slowly glowing brighter versus it suddenly turning on at full volume,” she says.

Oriana Gagnon Martinez, colour specialist at Sico Paint also notes that within seconds of entering a room, the human brain processes visual stimuli to determine if a space feels safe, clean, energetic or chaotic. Colour is a way to immediately assess that space, Martinez says, adding there is a shift in neutrals from whites and greys to greiges and soft browns, as well as an increase in popularity of greens and blues.

“Greens, blues and earthy tones mimic the natural world, which has been scientifically proven to reduce cortisol levels,” says Martinez.

While people still want neutral paint colours, they want warmth and to feel grounded, she says. Earthy browns and greens bring a sense of cosiness that greys or whites simply cannot provide, says Martinez, adding neutral tones and earthy colours suggest stability and cleanliness and lowers the cognitive load, making the space feel more inviting.

Job booking platform Taskrabbit, launched in Canada in 2020, released its first trend report earlier this year, The Five Senses of Home: How Canadians Are Designing Spaces in 2026 . To compile the report Taskrabbit evaluated year-over-year growth in specific task categories and keyword search frequency within service requests. For sight it found tasks featuring neutral tones are up (+53 per cent), including greens (+35 per cent), browns (+23 per cent), and blues (+17 per cent).

While it’s difficult to separate sight and touch when talking about texture, touch is vital when it comes to items that you physically interact with.

“The feeling of a carpet underfoot, the softness of a sofa, the fluffiness of a throw pillow creates a certain cosy mood in a home. Texture creates a feeling of something that you can tuck into, like a sweater,” says Kwasnicki.

Charyle Ross, principal of Burnaby-based Ross & Company Interiors says including different textures of fabrics, woods and metals gives a space visual depth.

“Without the combination of multiple textures, spaces can become very flat and one dimensional,” she says noting if you are designing a minimalist home, it’s important to add texture such as a wool throw so that it creates contrast with the clean, simple lines of the other contemporary pieces in the room.

Kwasnicki says a desire to be close to nature and the earth has brought a lot of texture into the home.

“When we think about that in the sense of texture, what we are seeing is more matte or leather finishes in our stone and tiles so that it feels more like it does in nature and not so manufactured,” she says. “We’re seeing a lot of handmade-looking tiles as well – moving away from the manufactured and pristine look and letting the material look more varied and unique.”

Ross says if a space lacks textiles, increase the sense of touch by adding pillows, a throw and rug by applying the “three texture rule” – one soft, one natural and one structured – and use a stripe to balance out a busier pattern.

Lighting evokes many senses and in a dining room it plays a major role in how food is enjoyed, impacting the sense of taste.

Ross believes lighting shapes the mood of a meal.

“Well lit dining areas create ambiance allowing meals to be more enjoyable, visually appealing and comfortable,” she says and suggests adding a memorable chandelier or pendant to enhance the space.

Kwasnicki notes warmer light versus cooler light will make everything on the table look more appetizing, and suggests portable movable lights (LED candles, or small lamps) as added layers and texture to the tablescape.

Sound is sometimes an overlooked sense in the backdrop of a home.

“The idea of ambient sound, like ambient light, is actually a really healing feature,” says Kwasnicki. “Think about sound machines, or speakers that provide gentle music throughout the home. When we’re thinking about finishes in a home, we never want a space to be full of hard surfaces only – softening a bathroom with a beautiful mat on the floor or creating some sound ambiance at a dining table with a fixture made of textiles versus glass helps to cut through the harshness of some sounds. The more texture you have in a home, the softer the soundscape will be and, similar to sight, will be soothing and less jarring.,”

Moving to the sense of smell, Kwasnicki connects it back to discussions about texture and the cosy factor.

“When I think about smells in a home I think about laundry, baths, flowers and diffusers. The more you live in a home, the more your home will smell like you and the life you live. Cooking, going to the farmers market, washing new bedding, watering your plants, opening the windows are all ways that we infuse scent into our homes without even thinking about it,” says Kwasnicki.

Ross says natural scents can determine a mood and add a sense of cleanliness and freshness.

“Room scents should barely be noticeable and avoid too many competing scents across rooms,” she advises.

Taskrabbit’s report found tasks that include rose (+34 per cent), flowers (+33 per cent) and scented (+29 per cent) show natural aromas are increasingly popular indoors.

The sense of smell is also closely aligned with taste and leads directly to the kitchen, typically the heart of the home.

“Green in a kitchen is having a moment, and I think it’s because it feels fresh and alive,” says Kwasnicki, adding neutrals also create a great setting. “You can infuse your own blast of colour into the space – a big bowl of fruit from the farmers market, the oil bottle you bought on your trip to Italy, the dish towels you inherited from Grandma – the kitchen is often where you see a lot of someone’s personality and taste.”

Martinez says when it comes to kitchens and food related spaces, the goal is to balance appetite stimulation with cleanliness. She suggests the best colours for these spaces include a deep forest green, like SICO’s 2026 Canadian Colour of the Year, Boreal Forest (6167-83) that provides a sophisticated, farm-to-table feel. For a coffee station or breakfast nook, warm browns evoke the richness of coffee beans and toasted grains – consider colours like, Café Glacé (6191-42) and Arabica (6191-83).

Creamy off-whites and soft yellows make the kitchen feel lived-in, joyful, and appetizing while still looking clean. Light blues are a good choice for morning people, says Martinez.

“They feel fresh and energizing. These hues also reflect more light, making a small or medium kitchen feel significantly larger and more open,” she says adding Natural Spring Water (6201-31) is a great choice for a coastal esthetic.

Smell can also correlate with air quality. Newer buildings have an Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV)that improves indoor air quality by replacing stale air with fresh air from outside while homes without an ERV can use High-Efficiency Particulate Air filters (HEPA) in portable air purifiers to improve indoor air quality by removing airborne particles such as dust or pollen.

Indoor plants can improve air quality while also introducing another layer to create visual depth – a must for any of the interiors Ross designs.

Kwasnicki says while the addition of plants improves air quality, having something that is growing and alive will bring life to a space.

“It becomes the contrast to the hard surfaces, the boldness to the neutral tones and the texture we all want and love,” she says.

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The tradition is back for another summer: Tickets are now on sale for the PNE Prize Home, this year in a new location in Surrey.

“We’re excited to introduce this year’s prize home in a brand-new community,” says PNE spokeswoman Laura Ballance in a news release. “Each year, we look for ways to evolve this long-standing tradition, and the 2026 home reflects that with its thoughtful design, vibrant setting and incredible prize package. We’re proud to continue creating something that captures the imagination of our guests year-after-year.”

The new residence, built by Foxridge Homes, is at 10100 Elderberry Cres. in Surrey’s northeast between Tynehead Regional Park to the west and Barnston Island to the northeast. It’s valued at over $2.3 million.

The 4,117-square-foot home is on three levels with seven bedrooms and 4 1/2 bathrooms, and includes a separate two-bedroom legal suite.

“The space is designed as a bright and welcoming family haven, complete with an art room and games room, blending soft neutrals with warm woods and playful pops of colour to create a home that is both stylish and livable,” says the PNE.

It includes furnishings from Paramount Home & Design, appliances and electronics from Samsung, a B.C. Hydro EV charger and a Husqvarna yard maintenance package.

Tours of the prize home begin June 20 and run until Aug. 15, every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Get free tickets through TicketLeader starting in June.

Tickets for the PNE Prize Home include the Surrey house package, and are eligible for a bunch of other prizes, including five vehicles from Chevrolet and Cadillac; five $10,000 cash prizes; two $10,000 Metropolis at Metrotown shopping sprees; two seven-day cruises for two with Celebrity Cruises, plus $1,500 cash; a 2026 Suzuki Boulevard M109R motorcycle; a Beachcomber hot tub package; and a Woody’s travel trailer.

There are also four bonus draws throughout the summer, each with a prize of a seven-day cruise for two with Celebrity Cruises, plus $1,500 in cash.

Tickets are on sale now with prices the same as last year: two for $35, six for $80, 15 for $165 and 30 for $285. They can be bought online, through the PNE call centre at 604-678-4663 or toll free at 1-877-946-4663, and at select mall locations after June 1.

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Traditional Japanese homes often follow the philosophy of wabi-sabi, an appreciation for imperfection and asymmetry. If elements are flawed, worn out or unbalanced, rather than scrambling to fix them, the theory goes, it’s better to not only accept but celebrate a place’s peccadillos. The pursuit of perfection, after all, is an exercise in futility and an express train to stress.

The couple who commissioned the Sakura Estate in Coquitlam back in 1963 were not known to be Japanese themselves, but they obviously embraced the wabi-sabi sentiment when envisioning their new mid-century modern home.

“Its luxury comes from the materiality: it’s simple, reduced, peaceful,” says listing agent Trent Rodney, co-founder of West Coast Modern real estate agency. “Everything is locally sourced with a Japanese sensibility.”

That sensibility starts with the property’s namesake, the Sakura, a 60-year-old cherry blossom tree that presides over the front yard. Adjacent to the entrance courtyard, the covered two-vehicle carport’s eaves curve up like a pagoda. After passing through two motor court gates and continuing along a curved driveway, then over circular paving stones that look like lily pads, and across slate tiles, you pass underneath translucent tōrō lanterns, historically used to line and illuminate paths around Buddhist temples and shrines.

Hand set, locally sourced Squamish granite columns frame the entrance courtyard, and a skylight illuminates the pebbled pathway leading to the home’s double mahogany doors.

“Each element slows movement and creates a staged arrival in the entrance foyer that feels like you’ve entered the insides of a supersized Japanese lantern,” says Rodney.

The California-style pool in the backyard was inspired by American landscape architect Thomas Church, characterized by the kidney-shaped design that blends with the surrounding landscape. “Granite monoliths, tall vertical stones near the pool and outdoor fireplace, function as sculptural landscape elements and reference traditional Japanese stone garden placement,” says Rodney.

Japanese maples, cedar and wisteria ensure privacy, while a small balsam fir edging the pool evokes the bonsai and standing stones in many temple gardens.

“The architect for the Sakura, G. Douglas Wylie, collaborated with landscape architects Muirhead and Justice, both heavily influenced by Japanese planning,” says Rodney. “They approached the landscape and building as one, (which) are all linked to the Japanese origin hundreds of years ago.” In fact, this residence is one of only two of Wylie’s known designed homes, the other being the Taylor residence in New Westminster.

An outdoor living space with a built-in fireplace makes for a peaceful place to take in the property’s expanse of green lawn year-round.

What’s inside

The Japanese influence carries into the bungalow’s interior with sliding shoji screens that open onto a sunken living room encased in glass and cedar planes reminiscent of a Kyoto tea house. The exterior Squamish granite walls extend to the fireplace wall inside.

“The primary fireplace itself is described as “Wrightian” because its design recalls the fireplace compositions of Frank Lloyd Wright in the 1940s and 1950s, where the hearth functioned as the structural and visual anchor of the home,” says Rodney. “While Wright never built in British Columbia, his influence shaped many West Coast modern architects.”

During a later renovation, slate flooring was added to the kitchen and bathrooms to match the original material palette, while refined marble covers the entrance and formal areas, and new carpets were laid in the bedrooms.

Other improvements over the years include kitchen upgrades such as granite countertops, teak cabinetry with iron hardware balances, Thermador appliances, and a built-in coffee station. A suspended glass cabinet and shelving that divide the kitchen from the dining space reflects the mid-century design.

Rodney says this type of home is an endangered species, particularly in Coquitlam. “The highrises in the distance aren’t so distant anymore, they’re coming in closer. It is in a fast developing area, and when we have fast developing that’s when we lose these things. There’s no protection; the track record for these types of homes is demolition, a reality of the last 10 years. We’re trying to celebrate living with more intention and maximizing your sense of space, integrating indoor and outdoor with the Japanese principles, living in the entire site (and) maximizing available square footage.”

He says the home would appeal to creatives — filmmakers, musicians, art dealers, tech entrepreneurs — anyone looking for a sanctuary from the outside world. “These places can be inspiring, not just because they’re cool looking from an esthetic perspective but because they encourage us to slow down and embrace nature.”

In the neighbourhood

There are many public and private elementary, middle and high schools nearby, some within walking distance. The Vancouver Golf Club is a few minutes away, as are shops, restaurants and other services along Austin Avenue and North Road. A bit farther away are Lougheed Mall and Costco.

The Lougheed SkyTrain Station is also close by, as is access to the Trans-Canada Highway that takes you west through Burnaby and into Vancouver, or east into Surrey and the Fraser Valley.

Location:701 Dansey Avenue, Coquitlam

Listed for: $3,850,000

Year built: 1963

Type: Five bedrooms, four bathrooms

Size: 5,372 square feet

Realtor: Listed by Trent Rodney, West Coast Modern Real Estate

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A furniture collection that doesn’t try to blend in, Vancouver-based design studio Marrimor unveiled five distinct pieces at Milan Design Week that are incredibly colourful, expressive and tactile. Presented at Alcova, they included the P2 coffee table, Drape swivel chair, Notch sectional, Concerto console and Bloop rug.

“A maximalist could place all five products in the same room and they would sing together and make a statement, but alternatively, just one piece in a room would provide a centrepiece for the space”, says Lauren Bugliarisi, cofounder of Marrimor, with designer Tanja Breadner.

A collection born from momentum

This new collection began not with a single object, but with a surge of creative energy following Milan Design Week 2025.

“We have a lot of creative energy right after Milan Design Week, when we’ve had a chance to talk about the pieces. Those conversations inform and inspire what we do the following year, says Breadner.

“Some of the pieces we’ve been conceptualizing for a while. We sketched the Drape chair before the Drape Sofa, which we launched in 2025. The lion’s share of this year’s collection was born right after we got home from Milan,” says Bugliarisi.

Designing without restraint

If there is a unifying idea behind the collection, it is freedom. Freedom of colour, material and form.

“We deeply desired to design products that weren’t restrained in colour, shape or material application because that’s what we find ourselves looking for in the market,” says Bugliarisi.

The result is a collection that can be layered or distilled.

Craft, collaboration and a few pivots

All Marrimor furniture is produced in Italy, along with most of their soft and hard goods. Their rugs are produced in Thailand and Nepal, depending on the technique required.

“We are committed to going wherever the workmanship is the best within any given category,” says Bugliarisi.

It’s an approach that does come with some challenges.

“Material play can come at the cost of production hiccups during the prototyping process. There were several times we had to pivot from one material to another, or tweak colours based on what was possible,” says Bugliarisi.

Their P2 coffee table, originally planned in a different finish, was reimagined in chrome due to material availability at the time.

“ In the end, the cool mirror-like finish is the perfect contrast for the luxe leather and wood accents,” says Bugliarisi.

Playful, but precise

“We’ve had the most successful show this year since launching our company. The five products resonated very well with our clients and attracted new retailers, agents, architects and designers alike,” says Breadner.

Visitors responded not just to the colour, but to the combination of playfulness and high-end execution, she says.

“As creatives, it’s a relief to put something out into the world and have people understand it. People have been pleasantly surprised by how colourful the collection is and the material selection, which is all we can hope for!” says Bugliarisi.

Amplified creativity

Alcova, at Milan Design Week is such a special show, providing a platform for so many incredible makers, brands and artists, says Bugliarisi.

“The large area allows for thousands of visitors to explore design and art in a relaxed and inspiring way,” says Breadner.

What comes next

Marrimore will show this collection at other design events, such as 3 Days of Design in Copenhagen and Art Basel in Miami.

As is their tradition, they’ve started the process of designing next year’s collection in the wave of creative energy that comes from Milan Design Week, says Bugliarisi.

“We will continue this momentum. Creatively, we are planning the next collection for 2027 and working on extending the existing product line,” says Breadner.

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